Taj
Mahal Location
Agra,
the city of the Taj Mahal and once the capital of the Mughal empire, has several
monuments which display the splendour of Mughal architecture. It was here that
Babar, the founder of the dynasty, had the first formal Persian garden laid
out on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar, his grandson, raised the towering
ramparts of the great Red Fort, within whose walls Jahangir built rose-red palaces,
courts and gardens, and which Shahajahan embellished with marble mosques, palaces
and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble.
Agra is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata as Agraban, the sister city
of the more prominent Mathura. Agra was established in 1475 by Badal Singh and
came into its own when Sikander Lodhi of the Lodhi dynasty chose it for his
capital because of its proximity to the Yamuna. Babur defeated the Lodhis to
capture not only Agra but also to lay the foundation of the Mughal empire.
In the mid-16th and earlier 17th centuries, Agra witnessed a frenzied building
activity and it was during this time that the symbol of love, the Taj Mahal,
was built. The buildings made during this era were purely in the contemporary
Mughal style and of very high quality. Besides the monuments, Agra is worth
a visit for the masterpieces of craftsmen recreating the glory of the Mughal
period and for the Mughlai cuisine, the aroma of which fills the narrow lanes
of Agra.
Banks
of Yamuna
On the banks of river Yamuna, rises the crescent-like Agra Fort. Designed and
built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 A.D., the fort is surrounded by a 70 foot high
wall. It houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and numerous palaces including the
Jahangiri Mahal, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am, Machihi Bhawan and Moti
Masjid. The fort has four gates and is enclosed by a double battlemented wall
of red sand stone.
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